General Notes

According to hsi oath of allegiance in 1687, Jan emigrated in 1653, living in
New Utrecht by 1659.He was listed as a member of Dutch Church of new Utrecht, 1677. Constable of New Utrecht 1678, named Governor in Dongan's patent for the town, 1686.  There is no record of Jan after 1698, he left no will.  In 1698 census of New Utrecht.

From the manuscript of R.S.Harvey:  Jan Van Cleef was born in Holland, probably Amsterdam.  He is said to have been the son of one of the rival claimants for the Ducal Tthrone of Cleves, when it was vacated by the death of John William, without heir, in 1609.  In 1614, by the treaty of Xanten, this Duchy was awarded to John Sigiamund, the Elector of Brandenburg.  It was probably this year that the father of Jan Van Cleef fled across the border into Holland, as a political refugee, taking up his abode in Amsterdam. 

Jan VanCleef came to America about 1653, probably taking up his abode in Gravesend, for in a656 he is mentioned as a farmer at that place.  He soon moved to New Utrecht, However, and in 1659 he is mentioned as living there and probably lived there the remainder of his life, dying about 1699.